Loan Wusheng

Chapter 193 Killing a dog is only satisfying in front of its owner!
Gong Ming sped along at an extremely high speed, even burning his life essence.

He is now very fearful and uneasy.

He knew very well that Zheng Jun was chasing him from behind, so he couldn't let his guard down for a moment.

The only option is to run away.

If we escape to Guangping County or Ziyang County, we will be safe.

Although he didn't pay particular attention to the whereabouts of Nangong Xing and Fang Du, he could basically conclude that the two must have been killed by Zheng Jun.

Unlike the rough-and-tumble Jianghu figure Nangong Xing, and Fang Du, a member of a collateral branch of the Fang family.

Gong Ming is a commander of a thousand men in the Lanzhou Garrison.

The Zhenfu Division is best at gathering intelligence and information.

Therefore, Gong Ming knew long ago that Zheng Jun possessed Cai's supernatural power, "Swift Meteor".

Faced with such an extremely rare escape technique, how could these two beginners at the initial stage of the Qi Refining Realm possibly survive?
Therefore, from the very beginning, Gong Ming's plan was to use Nangong Xing and Fang Du as bait to cover his escape.

After all, Gong Ming understood from the very first exchange that they were no match for Zheng Jun.

Zheng Jun, this boy, has become so powerful in such a short time of cultivation.

It is truly unbelievable that he has reached the peak of the Qi Opening stage in just four or five years.

No such prodigy has been found in any historical records.

Only in the earliest myths and legends of the Sui Dynasty could there be such a person who attained enlightenment in three to five years.

Could it be that Zheng Jun is the reincarnation of a certain immortal lord?

On his escape, Gong Ming pondered this in his heart, deeply regretting his initial decision.

If I had known my opponent was Zheng Jun, I wouldn't have chosen the King of Qin...

Unfortunately, there's no going back in life.

No matter how much Gong Ming regretted it, it was too late.

Just as Gong Ming was pondering, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound behind him.

Gong Ming's expression changed.

So fast?
Could it be that Nangong Xing and Fang Du were both killed by Zheng Jun with a single blow?
Now, Gong Ming had the same thought as Nangong Xing, except that this time, Nangong Xing was among the names of those who were killed...

Seeing this, Gong Ming could only grit his teeth, harden his heart, and unleash his powerful true essence. The originally pitch-black true essence suddenly emanated red blood light, and in the next second it transformed into a blood escape, fleeing southward.

Gong Ming's Blood Escape ripped through the sky, leaving a scarlet trail in the clouds, while Zheng Jun, stepping on azure-gold light, relentlessly pursued him, and the Dragon Abyss Blade tore through the sound barrier, emitting a piercing shriek.

"Why is Lord Commander so panicked, like a dog that has lost its home?"

With a cold laugh, Zheng Jun tapped his finger on the hilt of his sword. A blazing sun rose from the hilt, transforming into a cage that sealed off all directions, and slashed towards Gong Ming: "Where is the prestige of the Zhenfu Division?"

Seeing Zheng Jun relentlessly pursuing him, Gong Ming snorted coldly, turned around immediately, and threw something out.

The object was a bell. After the bell suddenly exploded, seventy-two black iron chains shot out from the bell. Each chain had a bronze beast head engraved with the character "镇" (zhen, meaning to suppress) attached to its end. It was the "Heavenly Net" (天罗地网), a secret magical artifact of the Zhenfu Division.

This item is extremely rare, and only commanders of the Zhenfu Division or above can possess it. Gong Ming is one of the commanders of the Zhenfu Division who possesses the 'Heavenly Net'.

If this "net of heaven and earth" were stolen by someone else, it would be just an ordinary object.

However, if it falls into the hands of the Zhenfu Division, it can play a tremendous role.

This item is perfectly compatible with the martial arts techniques of the Zhenfu Division.

The beast's head spewed out an aura of annihilation, and Zheng Jun's powerful slash, which had just struck, melted away like boiling oil meeting snow.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gong Ming made a hand seal with his sword fingers, and the Ten Directions Annihilation Sword Qi, carrying a murderous intent and accompanied by the sound of ghosts wailing and gods howling, rushed over to kill!

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun's eyes suddenly lit up with golden patterns, and the Dragon Abyss Blade suddenly emitted a roar of azure waves.

The intent of the Green Water Blade transformed into a hundred-foot-long azure dragon coiling around its body. The black iron chains froze instantly upon striking the dragon's scales, shattering into ice shards in the gale.

The thunderous clash of swords dispersed the clouds that stretched for miles, and the murderous aura dissipated. However, they quickly regrouped and attacked Zheng Jun again!

"Humph."

Zheng Jun snorted coldly, and the blue waves on the Dragon Abyss Blade roared up once again.

"boom!"

The deafening roar of clashing swords scattered the clouds, and Gong Ming's tiger's mouth was split open, bleeding profusely, but he used the recoil to widen the distance by another hundred feet.

"Zheng Jun! My master is the commander of the Zhenfu Division. Do you really want to be my enemy?!"

Gong Ming roared, "Spare my life, and I will repay you handsomely!"

"Unless your master is the Divine Martial Emperor, you will surely die today!"

Zheng Jun drew his sword and gave chase.

Seeing this, Gong Ming had no choice but to harden his heart, grit his teeth, and directly swing his sword to sever his own left arm!
The Blood Escape Technique of the Zhenfu Division!
Blood gushed from the severed wound on his left arm, but under the impetus of the Ten Directions Annihilation Sword Qi, it condensed into countless scarlet needles, which rained down on Zheng Jun's eyes!
"Little tricks."

Zheng Jun sneered, and the Green Water Blade Intent surged from the soles of his feet, the emerald ripples like the open mouth of a giant whale, swallowing all the blood needles.

The blade slashed upwards, and the azure-gold true essence transformed into a dragon's tail, sweeping across. Gong Ming hastily parried with his sword, his tiger's mouth instantly split open, and he crashed down into the mountains below like a kite with a broken string.

"boom--!!!"

The mountain exploded, creating a crater ten feet deep. Gong Ming coughed up blood and leaped up from the rubble. His severed left arm suddenly transformed into a blood talisman. With the talisman's blessing, Gong Ming's speed instantly increased several times!
"Zheng Jun! If I manage to escape alive, you will..."

Before Gong Ming could finish speaking, a golden mark flashed between Zheng Jun's brows, and the jade seal formed by the Flowing Shadow and Floating Life condensed crashed down, instantly halting Gong Ming's movement as he was about to move.

"The ink-black jade seal... So it really is a fleeting shadow of life. You are a descendant of Empress Wei, and your original surname is Cao!"

Gong Ming's pupils constricted, and before he could finish speaking, he was sent flying by the Dragon Abyss Blade's energy.

"What Wei Emperor, Yu Emperor, you people really know how to randomly claim ancestors for people."

Zheng Jun's long sword dripped with blood, yet he handled it with ease.

Seeing Zheng Jun handling the situation with such ease, Gong Ming could only grit his teeth, and half of his right leg turned into a bloody mist in mid-air!
"Zheng Jun, die!"

Gong Ming roared as he plunged the Ten Directions Annihilation Sword into his heart. After absorbing the essence blood, the sword grew to a hundred feet in length!

A phantom image of a nine-headed willow tree emerged from the pitch-black sword energy, and the poisonous miasma mixed with the aura of annihilation corroded the earth, causing it to sizzle.

"A forbidden technique that burns life?"

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun was taken aback, and a thought began to form in his mind.

This Zhenfu Division is quite impressive, with one secret technique after another.

If I have the time, I should definitely go to the Zhenfu Division to inquire about it.

With these thoughts in mind, Zheng Jun shattered the mountain peak and soared into the air, the true dragon phantoms shooting out from the Dragon Abyss Blade overlapping with the nine great suns!

The shimmering sunlight, carrying the intent of the Green Water Blade, slashed down. Where the blade passed, Xiang Liu's head exploded one after another, and the poisonous miasma was burned into wisps of green smoke by the blazing sun's true fire!

Gong Ming, bleeding from all seven orifices, seized the opportunity to throw out the black sword in his hand, and then transformed into a blood rainbow and shot southward!
"Break!"

Zheng Jun roared like thunder, and the arrow of energy he formed from his overwhelming power directly knocked the black sword away. The aftershock snapped trees for miles around in half.

Looking at Gong Ming again, the blood rainbow had shrunk to a faint point of light on the horizon. The Zhenfu Division's Blood Burning Escape Technique was indeed well-deserved of its reputation.

Do you think you can escape?

Zheng Jun exhaled, slightly recovering the true energy he had just consumed. Then, he reached out and retrieved the black sword that he had knocked away, casually placing it behind 'Fangcun Mountain'. His Heavenly Eye Barrier-Breaking Divine Power flowed in his eyes, clearly capturing the broken figure that staggered and fell into the dense forest a hundred miles away!

Zheng Jun sheathed the Dragon Abyss Blade with a backhand motion, and his azure-gold true essence exploded into a sonic boom, making his pursuit even more ferocious than before: "Even if you hide in a rat hole, you'll still die!"

Deep in the dense forest, Gong Ming slumped in a pile of dead leaves, his chest cavity caved in, revealing shattered lung lobes.

At this moment, Gong Ming, who had lost a leg and an arm, made only a slight adjustment in the dense forest before exhaling a trembling breath and detonating his right leg again!

"Zheng Jun!!! When I return to Lanzhou, I will definitely..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt Zheng Jun's aura approaching again, so he could only rely on the blood-refining escape light generated by his exploded right leg to flee far away once more.

The speed was even faster.

Within a few breaths of the blood-refined escape light leaving, a streak of azure-gold escape light followed closely behind, relentlessly pursuing it!
……

The seat of Batang Prefecture.

Zhang Wen has been in a great mood lately, and he can't help but praise Zheng Junzhen in his heart as a gentleman who keeps his promises.

After receiving the money and pay, they agreed to a three-month ceasefire. In all these days, apart from Gao Lishan showing up briefly when he fled, causing Gao Lishan to be slightly nervous, they never did anything to displease him.

What's even more comforting is that it seems my father-in-law's family really believes I'm fighting desperately on the front lines. They even sent me a letter to commend me, and my wife, who hadn't paid any attention to me for years, has started to be very attentive.

Logically speaking, a martial artist who has reached the Qigong stage should not be bound by a woman.

He married the divorced woman from the Fang family who had a child, which was a way of showing his desire to join the Fang family. He didn't care if he secretly took two beauties for pleasure.

After all, they only wanted a skilled enforcer, not a real son-in-law.

However, the eldest daughter of the Fang family was unruly and loved to make things difficult for Zhang Wen. She would always compare Zhang Wen to her ex-husband, making Zhang Wen, a martial arts master who had reached the Qi Condensation Realm, feel very humiliated and he didn't even dare to take a concubine.

Now that Zhang Wen has been 'resisting' Zheng Jun for two months, his reputation within the Fang family has also risen, making him feel quite proud.

'The Marquis of Dingqin is truly a man of integrity. It seems I need to gather some silver and see if I can go and find him, and buy a few more county towns…'

Zhang Wen thought to himself, 'When the time comes, I'll pretend to lead troops north and recapture a few counties. Perhaps I can even gain some merit, which will further solidify my position in the Fang family.'

"As for those counties, Marquis Dingqin can retake them after I withdraw my troops, so it doesn't matter."

'Or perhaps we can get rid of the Marquis of Dingqin by sending a large army to actually besiege my Batang County, just to put on a show; otherwise, it won't be convincing.'

Zhang Wen is now fantasizing about fixing matches.

In Zhang Wen's view, this was destined to be a protracted war.

The reason is simple: this has happened frequently throughout history.

The power struggle between the two states will take at least several years to end. Both sides will employ a variety of strategies and mobilize countless troops, and only by using their strongest tactics can a victor be determined.

As for Zheng Jun, his strength is clearly not as great as that of the patriarch.

As for the patriarch, he probably wouldn't be able to quell the large army from Bozhou: after all, Cai Kang, the patriarch of the Cai family, was a genuine Yuan Dan Martial Saint!
It's highly likely that the stalemate will continue for a long time.

That's why Zhang Wen had this thought.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Wen hummed a little tune, left the prefectural governor's mansion, and planned to climb the city wall to observe the scene and have his soldiers create a fake to make it look like the aftermath of a major battle.

There's always a need to fabricate things.

Otherwise, when the Marquis of Hancheng's army arrives and finds the city walls brand new, wouldn't his claim of merit be completely refuted?

"Master Zhang!"

"Master Zhang!"

"..."

After climbing the city wall, the soldiers all paid high tribute to Zhang Wen.

Their respect for Zhang Wen came from the bottom of their hearts.

After all, although they didn't know why the enemy hadn't attacked, they had a vague feeling that it might be because of this prefect.

They didn't ask for a superior who would share life and death with them or share wealth and honor; a superior who could guarantee that they wouldn't be affected by the war would be the best they could hope for.

Zhang Wen is just that kind of superior!

Although not imposing enough, it was somewhat pathetic.

But a good official is one who can lead them through the chaos of war!
Looking at the soldiers around him who held him in the highest esteem, Zhang Wen was somewhat surprised, but he still nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

They looked very happy and harmonious.

"I think, everyone..."

Just as Zhang Wen was about to make a grand statement, he suddenly sensed an extremely powerful impact coming from the north. He was immediately stunned, and instantly felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.

what happened?
Is the Marquis of Dingqin going to attack the city?
How great is this!
In an instant, Zhang Wen panicked and hurriedly said, "Quick, activate the city's protective formation!"

Even though we don't know what happened, activating the city's protective formation is the right thing to do.

Even if a real siege were to occur, this defensive formation could delay the attack for a while.

Just after the city's protective formation was activated, a blood-red ripple suddenly exploded in the northern sky, and a twisted beam of light, carrying a pungent stench, crashed into the city's protective formation ten feet away from the city wall!
"Boom——!"

The bluish-gray light curtain trembled violently, and the array master sitting cross-legged on the city wall coughed up blood as the spiritual energy array eye was instantly blasted into dust.

"Enemy attack, enemy attack!"

Zhang Wen's body trembled violently, and he was greatly alarmed. His true essence at the Tongqiao Realm erupted completely.

The protective formation of Batang County was activated instantly, and the formations were connected into one.

"Prefect Zhang! Withdraw your troops immediately!"

Blood burned on Gong Ming's mangled body, demonic runes surged at the severed end of his left arm, and he shouted, "I am Gong Ming, commander of the Lanzhou Garrison! Let me into the city at once!"

Zhang Wen's small, beady eyes widened in shock, and he hesitated greatly upon seeing this situation.

He naturally knew Gong Ming, the commander of the Lanzhou Garrison.

But the current situation is clearly that he has been chased here by Zheng Jun, the Grand Commander. If he opens the door, wouldn't he offend the Grand Commander?
Not worth it!
With this thought in mind, Zhang Wen hesitated and said, "Is it really Commander Gong? Please forgive me, Commander Gong, but I need to verify your identity before opening the door, to prevent any thieves from entering..."

"Examine your ancestors!"

Gong Ming's eyes widened in horror, and his pupils suddenly contracted when he looked back to the north.

The azure-gold light in the sky had already torn through the clouds, and the dragon's roar made his internal organs bleed: "Zheng Jun will arrive in an instant! If you do not let me pass, after I die, the Zhenfu Division will slaughter your entire army..."

Before the words were even finished, the Dragon Abyss Blade's aura struck like a comet. Gong Ming frantically twisted his mangled body, the blade grazing his spine and carving a three-zhang-long, blazing white furrow into the city's protective array!

"Commander Gong certainly knows how to pick a location."

Zheng Jun stood atop the void, the blood droplets falling from the tip of his Dragon Abyss Blade etching honeycomb-like holes into the city wall bricks. He glanced at Zhang Wen, who was huddled behind the array's core, with a half-smile: "Prefect Zhang is right."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, while Gong Ming, who was slumped outside the formation, suddenly sprang up, gritted his teeth, and his only remaining right hand exploded!

"Ten Directions of Nirvana!"

After the right hand exploded, a human-shaped blood shadow emerged from the blood mist. The blood shadow held a bone blade in its hand that was the same style as Gong Ming's sword, and slashed at Zheng Jun.

"sucker Punch."

Zheng Jun stroked the blade's spine with his fingers, and a jade dragon formed from the essence of the Green Water Blade shot out from his sleeve.
Wherever the dragon's tail swept, the blood-red chains froze into ice crystals, which shattered into scarlet ice shards upon hitting the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gong Ming rushed to the front of the Batang County formation, using his true energy to slam the blood-stained commander's token heavily onto the formation patterns: "The order from the Garrison Command is here! Zhang Wen, the Prefect of Batang County, listen to my command! Open immediately..."

"I do not recognize."

Zhang Wen shrank back, not daring to activate the great formation at all.

If we open the great formation now, and that Marquis of Dingqin and the Grand Commander become bloodthirsty and follow us into the city, who can fight him?

Anyway, Zhang Wen is no match for him; no one in Batang County can rival him.

"Zhang Wen, you deserve to die!!!"

Enraged, Gong Ming saw that Zheng Jun had easily dealt with his Ten Directions Annihilation technique, leaving him with no chance. He could only take a deep breath and choose to blow his tongue out!
The tongue is one of the five orifices.

He blew out his tongue, which means Gong Ming abandoned his tongue orifice and fled!
Even if he survives, Gong Ming's cultivation level will plummet, making it difficult for him to advance any further and limiting him to the Tongqiao realm.

Because his tongue will be rendered useless from now on.

He'll always be missing one of the five orifices, so he'll never have a chance to advance to the Yuan Dan Martial Saint level!

"Oh!"

As his tongue was detonated, Gong Ming received a brief boost to his body. With all four limbs gone and only his torso remaining, Gong Ming sprang southward like a spring, leaving only a furious roar: "Tibetan, oh no ha!"

When his tongue was exposed, what Gong Ming actually wanted to say was, "Zhang Wen, I will kill you," but when he said it, it sounded somewhat abstract.

Gong Ming's mangled body, enveloped in a bloody mist, streaked across the sky like a shooting star.

This time, Zheng Jun did not rush to pursue, but instead transformed into a streak of cyan-gold light, trailing behind Gong Ming's mangled body.

The nature of this pursuit has changed.

Since entering Batang County, Zheng Jun felt that if he simply and decisively killed Gong Ming, it would only reduce the enemy's number by one Qi Opening Martial Artist, and would have no other effect.

However, if they pursued him relentlessly, forcing Gong Ming to beg for mercy at every prefecture city, the effect would be outstanding.

It can effectively demoralize the enemy.

That’s very good.

Therefore, Zheng Jun deliberately slowed down his pursuit and did not intend to quickly eliminate Gong Ming.

After Zheng Jun fled, Zhang Wen breathed a long sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, and felt extremely fortunate: "Thank goodness he's gone, thank goodness he's gone..."

The deputy generals standing to the side remained silent.

Only one trusted confidant hesitated for a moment before turning to Zhang Wendao and asking, "Lord Zhang, wouldn't what we're doing be considered treason?"

Upon hearing his confidant's words, Zhang Wen instantly sobered up and broke out in a cold sweat.

If the Fang family finds out that I am colluding with the enemy, not only will I not enjoy wealth and honor, but my entire clan will be turned into corpse puppets!
Others may not know how the Fang family rose to prominence, but how could he, as the son-in-law of the Fang family, not know?

That patriarch of the Fang family was a demonic martial artist!
They possess the unique skill of 'corpse puppetry,' and the Fang family has buried thousands of martial artist corpse puppets underground!

This is the essence of the Fang family's heritage that has been passed down for thousands of years!

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter."

Zhang Wen muttered to himself, taking a deep breath and thinking, "As long as Commander Gong is dead, there will be no problem."

"Commander Gong, you absolutely cannot go back alive!"

After praying silently, Zhang Wen suddenly felt something was amiss.

Wait a minute... why does this idea of ​​mine feel like I'm actually betraying the enemy?
After all, this is different from the previous Gao Lishan.

On the surface, Gao Lishan is still the prime minister of the Yongchang court, but Gong Ming, the commander of the thousand households, is a true ally!

Your refusal to open Gao Lishan's door could be interpreted as a fear of collusion from within and without, which is Zheng Jun's treacherous scheme.

But there's really no reason not to open Gong Ming's door.

After thinking about it for a moment, Zhang Wen was even more shocked. He prayed in his heart, "Commander Gong, you can die later. You must escape to Guangping County and ask Zhao Donglai for help before you die. You can't die so soon!"

Gong Ming will only be safe if he escapes to Guangping County.

If Zhao Donglai doesn't open the door, then it's the same as his situation.

If Zhao Donglai opens the door, it will prove that his decision not to open the door was absolutely correct!

"..."

"Guangping Commandery, Prefect Zhao! Quickly open the great formation and let me in!"

"Commander Gong, please go somewhere else! That traitor Zheng is so powerful, I really dare not open the great formation!"

"Zhao Donglai! If I don't die, I will kill you!"

"Ignore him and shut down the formation immediately."

"..."

Gong Ming was in despair.

Zhang Wen and Zhao Donglai from Batang and Guangping counties deserve to die!
They ruined His Highness the King of Qin's grand plan.

Gong Ming looked somewhat dejected.

After half a day of pursuit, Gong Ming had figured out Zheng Jun's intentions.

The fact that he just kept chasing after him without killing him made Gong Ming feel quite humiliated.

Gong Ming now really wanted to give up and let Zheng Jun kill him.

But no way.

He still had the will to live; even if he became a cripple, Gong Ming still wanted to live.

Moreover, he felt that his hope for survival lay in Ziyang County.

because……

The army of Marquis Hancheng is in Ziyang County!

The Fang family's 200,000-strong army has been assembled in Ziyang County, with several skilled warriors among them poised to strike!
If he could escape to the camp of Marquis Hancheng in Ziyang County, he would have a chance to survive.

Upon realizing this, Gong Ming sped off towards Ziyang County.

Zheng Jun, meanwhile, was chasing far behind.

He didn't kill him, but just watched him indifferently.

However, just as Gong Ming was thinking this, he suddenly felt a flash of light from behind, followed by a burning pain.

"Commander Gong, run faster!"

The terrifying voice of the man behind him made Gong Ming grit his teeth in hatred, but he could only spit out a mouthful of blood essence and continue his blood escape forward.

……

In the northern suburbs of Ziyang County, the Huan River surges and rushes like a dragon.

Two hundred thousand elite troops set up camp along the river, their continuous military tents resembling a black dragon coiled around the mountains.

Various engineering machines are being prepared, and all sorts of weapons are being distributed to the troops.

Before the central command tent, the battle flags fluttered without wind, and the large banner bearing the character "Qin" exuded a chilling aura.

Before long, a messenger entered the central command tent, cupped his hands to Zheng Jun, and said, "General, all chariots are ready!"

"Yes, I understand."

A clear, cool voice came from the command platform, and Gongyang Jin, who was reviewing military reports, slowly put down his writing brush.

The Marquis of Hancheng, dressed in a moon-white crane cloak, gently stroked the bronze beast-face paperweight on his desk, wrote a letter, and then let out a long sigh.

"The life flames of those three beasts have all been extinguished. It seems that Zheng Jun's strength should not be underestimated. The guerrilla tactics have failed."

Gongyang Jin frowned, realizing the problem.

This tactic was simply using five idle guys to try their luck.

Two beasts, Nangong Xing, and Fang Du are all second-rate. Although they have been promoted in the army, they are spineless. If anything happens that puts the army at a disadvantage, they will definitely desert or surrender on the spot.

Rather than waiting until that moment shakes morale, it's better to send them out to bully the weak and sabotage from behind, to see if we can cause any problems at Zheng Jun's front.

But I never expected them to die so quickly.

Although the specifics are unknown, the fact that the life flames of the two wolf demon beasts went out at the same time proves that they died within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

This is enough to prove Zheng Jun's great strength.

"It seems that the title of 'the number one martial arts prodigy in the Northern Frontier for ten thousand years' is well-deserved. This Zheng Sanlang is truly an unparalleled genius."

Gongyang Jin thought to himself, while sighing with regret that His Highness the King of Qin had not recruited this prodigy into his ranks.

What a pity!
"If we defeat Zheng Jun and capture him alive, we should not hastily kill him. We should appeal to his emotions and reason with him, and try to persuade him to surrender. If such a prodigy can be used by the King of Qin, he will definitely be the guarantee for the next hundred years of our Great Zhou, and he is enough to become the second Duke Yue!"

After feeling deeply moved, Gongyang Jin calmed himself down.

In any case, we must defeat Zheng Jun on the main battlefield before we can consider what to do next.

"Send the order to all battalions."

Gongyang Jin looked at the messenger in front of him and immediately said, "The army is preparing to break camp. The Qin army's Xuan Niao Guard will be the vanguard, carrying my command flag and pressing forward! The Lanzhou army's Fang Han troops will be the left wing, and Murong Ling's troops will be the right wing, following my army into battle!"

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the order, the messenger hurriedly left the central command tent to relay the military command.

The Qin army's Black Bird Guard is one of the three guards of the Qin King's Palace.

The three guards of an ordinary prince are usually the Central Guard, the Left Guard, and the Right Guard, each with 15,000 men.

The King of Qin was a prince!

His three guards were certainly not the three central, left, and right guards.

His three guards were the Black Bird Guard, the Startling Dragon Guard, and the Xuanwu Guard.

Each garrison has 30,000 men.

They are elite soldiers who have fought countless battles.

Back then, the King of Qin led these three guards with 90,000 elite troops to repel the attack from the Western Di.

With these 30,000 battle-hardened elites as the vanguard, they were able to display their might to the 200,000 Lanzhou troops, greatly boosting their morale.

This was Gongyang Jin's idea.

"boom--!"

Just then, a sonic boom like muffled thunder exploded in the northern sky, tearing the clouds above the 200,000-strong army into a vortex.

Upon seeing this, Gongyang Jin was taken aback. The next second, he transformed into a streak of earth-yellow light and flew out of the military tent.

At the same time, eight figures soared into the sky from different tents almost simultaneously, their powerful true energy causing the Huan River to flow backward!

"Commander Helan Shan of the Black Bird Guard is here! What kind of villain dares to invade the Qin King's army?!"

A bearded man clad in heavy black armor was the first to step into the air and stand there. The four-foot-wide blade behind him hummed and vibrated, clearly cutting through the surrounding air!

Upon seeing this, another purple-robed elder narrowed his eyes and whispered, "The sword energy of the Ten Directions Annihilation of the Zhenfu Division... The one who came seems to be Gong Ming, but where did Gong Ming get such a strong aura?"

Just then, a red light appeared at the edge of their vision.

Gong Ming's body was so mangled that it was no longer recognizable as human.

His chest, with his internal organs exposed, heaved violently, and his only remaining right eye was fixed on the blood-red smoke on the horizon.

When he caught a whiff of the Lanzhou army, his festering throat emitted a piercing screech like that of a night owl.

at last,

I finally escaped back!

"It's Gong Ming!"

Upon seeing the red light intensify, Helan Shan, the commander of the Black Bird Guard, immediately exclaimed, "Why is he in such a sorry state?"

"I don't know either."

The purple-robed elder shook his head, and the other six armored generals were also unaware of the situation.

Upon seeing the figures floating in the air, Gong Ming was overjoyed. He immediately circulated his true energy and roared, "Marquis of Hancheng, save me! Commander He, save me! Mr. Fang, save me! General Murong, save me!!!"

Although it lacks a tongue, its true essence has not dissipated, and it can still use its true essence to make a whooshing sound.

However, his words were abruptly cut off as soon as the cry for help was heard.

The Dragon Abyss Blade cleaved down from the clouds, and the Azure Dragon formed from the Green Water Blade Intent bit Gong Ming's neck in one gulp.

The azure-gold true essence wrapped around Gong Ming's head soared into the sky, exploding into a rain of blood above the army formation!
"Um?!"

This scene instantly startled the eight martial artists who had just entered the fray.

Gong Ming was a master of the third stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Although there were quite a few among them who were stronger than Gong Ming, it was extremely rare for them to be able to kill Gong Ming so easily!
Who on earth could kill Gong Ming so easily?
Moreover, they chased him all the way here, like a cat playing with a mouse!
The rest of the soldiers looked up at the sky, their faces showing shock.

What's happening here?
Could it be that a Nascent Soul Martial Saint has broken through the void and arrived?!
There was a slight commotion among the soldiers, but the 30,000 Qin soldiers of the Xuan Niao Guard remained unmoved, seemingly oblivious to the scene of Gong Ming's execution.

Just then, Gongyang Jin stepped out of the military tent with his hands behind his back, his moon-white crane cloak fluttering in the strong wind.

He squinted at the azure-gold light emanating from the depths of the cloud vortex, but his voice remained calm: "Zheng Sanlang has chased Commander Gong all this way, why not come into the camp for a chat?"

"Zheng Sanlang?"

Upon hearing this, the eight martial artists who had reached the Qi Refining stage narrowed their eyes.

They naturally knew who 'Zheng Sanlang' was.

Zheng Sanlang was their enemy on this trip, the enemy's commander-in-chief, Zheng Jun!
Before he finished speaking, a blinding golden light suddenly shone in the sky.

Gong Ming's mangled body crashed into the Lanzhou army camp like a broken sack, exploding upon landing as if he were a lump of mud!

At the same time, the Dragon Abyss Blade burst forth from the clouds, and Zheng Jun landed in front of the crowd amidst the rain of blood. Looking at the 200,000-strong army and the eight Qi Refining martial artists, he showed no fear and chuckled, "I have long admired the reputation of the Earl of Hancheng. Today, Gong Ming's head will be our greeting gift."

Having said that, the blade's energy swept across, stretching for thirty miles, and its mighty roar shook the surrounding battle flags, causing them to snap in two!
Murong Ling, a general of the Lanzhou army and a second-stage Qi Refining Realm cultivator, looked on with a mixture of shock and doubt. He stared at Gong Ming's mangled corpse, his pupils shrinking sharply: "Gong Ming burned all the essence blood from his five acupoints... He was treated like prey and toyed with for a full three thousand miles!"

"How brave!"

The purple-robed elder, Fang Yuan, a fourth-stage Tongqiao realm martial artist of the Fang clan and of the same generation as Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang clan, was enraged. One of the abacus beads in his hand suddenly exploded, and his face was extremely gloomy: "It seems that Fang Du is already dead at your hands! You killed a member of my Fang clan's collateral branch, and today I will make you pay..."

The Fang family had nine members who were skilled in divination.

Now that Fang Du and Fang Yan have both died at Zheng Jun's hands, the hatred between Zheng Jun and the Fang family can be described as a blood feud.

After saying that, the twelve abacus beads beside Fang Yuan rose into the air, seemingly ready to make a move!
"Go back."

Gongyang Jin lightly waved his crane cloak, and the twelve abacus beads suddenly froze in mid-air.

He gazed at the lingering green water on Zheng Jun's blade, his expression unchanged, and suddenly clapped his hands and chuckled: "Truly, heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times. Zheng Sanlang was able to easily kill those two beasts and those two good-for-nothings, and then kill Gong Ming in full view of everyone. He has already angered many soldiers of my Lanzhou army."

"Is this a move to emulate the actions of Marquis Huaiping of Southern Chu in the past, to cripple our army?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jun flicked his wrist, and the Dragon Abyss Blade sliced ​​through the air above the army formation, creating a trail of azure waves. He then said, "Lord Hancheng is joking. This governor merely feels—"

"Killing a dog is only satisfying when done in front of its owner!"

The riverbank suddenly fell into dead silence.

The cracks on the broadsword of Helan Mountain suddenly expanded, and Murong Ling's spear surged with purplish-blue true essence, causing the twelve abacus beads on the roof to rise again!
The pressure from the eight acupoints surged like a raging torrent, but Zheng Jun remained steadfast and fearless, facing the eight people head-on.

Zheng Jun is now very open and composed.

This is a form of self-confidence.

I am confident that no one can kill me below the level of a Yuan Dan!

Young people should have the spirit of youth. Since you have invincible methods, you should show them off fiercely!
Gou?
impossible!
This is Zheng Jun. If he didn't pretend, wouldn't all those years of taking out small loans have been for nothing?!

"Truly a display of heroic spirit and youthful vigor!"

After saying that, Gongyang Jin's eyes revealed his appreciation, and then he laughed and said, "However, today, Zheng Sanlang has gone too far. Our army of 200,000 is lined up in front, and there are eight Tongqiao martial artists here. If Zheng Sanlang wants to leave, it will be extremely difficult."

"You should definitely give it a try!"

Zheng Junlong brandished his Longyuan Blade, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation: "Who's coming for me? Or perhaps, all of you at once?!"

Zheng Jun's voice was as loud as a bell.

Not only were they facing these eight Qi-opening martial artists, but they were also spreading the word throughout the 200,000 Lanzhou troops!

Beside Gongyang Jin, Fang Han, who was at the initial stage of the Qi Refining Realm, whispered, "General, this is a golden opportunity! If our entire army at the Qi Refining Realm attacks and kills Zheng Jun, we can lead the army north!"

Fang Han is the grandson of Fang Ji, the patriarch of the Fang family. Although he is only at the initial stage of the Qi Opening Realm, he has many tricks up his sleeve and is quite remarkable. He can fight against martial artists at the third stage of the Qi Opening Realm without being at a disadvantage.

Gongyang Jin looked up at Fang Han and said, "Kill him, and then what?"

"Zheng Jun single-handedly killed five of our soldiers who had reached the Tongqiao level, and pursued them relentlessly. The soldiers were terrified and their morale plummeted. But what good did killing Zheng Jun do? Weren't there any others in Bozhou? Were Li Cong, Cai Jingchen, and the others just sitting idly by?"

Of course, more importantly.

Gongyang Jin felt that even if all nine of them attacked together, they might not be able to defeat Zheng Jun and allow him to escape.

After all, Zheng Jun possessed a unique ability to escape.

Zheng Jun's pursuit of Gong Ming for three thousand miles and his killing of him had already greatly demoralized the Lanzhou army.

If all nine of them fail to capture Zheng Jun even if they attack together, their morale will reach an outrageous level, and the battle will naturally be over.

Gongyang Jin shook his head, his gaze solemn, and then asked, "Who can fight him and defeat him?"

At this juncture, all we can do is rely on the duel.

We don't even need to win; just a few hundred rounds of fighting will give our soldiers some confidence and prove that we can hold our own against them.

Zheng Jun possessed the supernatural ability to escape, so he couldn't catch up.

But defeating, drawing, or even losing after hundreds of moves shouldn't be difficult.

After all, there were several martial artists at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm present!
They were both at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, so they shouldn't have been defeated so quickly.

"I come!"

The broadsword of Helan Mountain, which connects the four realms, hummed and trembled, and golden tiger stripes appeared on the surface of the black armor.

He shattered the void with a single step, covering thirty feet, his blade, imbued with black and red murderous aura, cleaved through the clouds: "Zheng Jun, you brat, prepare to die!"

"bring it on!"

Zheng Jun glanced at the black-armored general and couldn't help but chuckle softly, his heart filled with vigilance.

This person is quite powerful.

However, he is truly remarkable only within the ranks of the army.

If this general had been in front, Zheng Jun might not have been his match.

But alas, this is a solo battle!
The Helan Mountain broadsword, imbued with black and red murderous aura, slashed down in an instant. Instead of retreating, Zheng Jun advanced, and the Longyuan Blade stirred up emerald ripples from below!

"boom!"

The deafening roar of the two blades colliding sent a ten-foot-high wave crashing into the Huan River!
"So strong?"

The moment they clashed, Helan Mountain sensed Zheng Jun's strength. Before the blood from his split tiger's mouth could even seep out, Zheng Jun's second strike was like a poisonous dragon piercing his heart, aimed straight for his throat.

"clang--!!!"

Helan Mountain barely managed to parry with the back of his blade, but the intent of the Green Water Blade seeped into his meridians along the gaps in the Xuanjia armor.

"break!"

He roared and activated his Tiger Stripe Battle Body. Before the phantom of the white-browed tiger with piercing eyes that appeared behind him could pounce, Zheng Jun had already turned into a blur. It was Cai's Divine Power, Swift Meteor!
The moment the blade pierced the barrier of malevolent energy, Helan Mountain's left shoulder armor exploded.

Zheng Jun spun around and leaped into the air, the dazzling light from the Longyuan Blade blending perfectly with the clear blue waves of the water!
When Helan Shan raised his sword to block the attack, his pupils suddenly contracted. This slash, though seemingly slow, was actually imbued with the Daoist aura of the Jade Seal that suppressed mountains and rivers!
"Damn it!"

He Lanshan felt a chill run down his spine. With a single strike, the dark, broad blade of this magical weapon snapped in two, the shockwave sending him crashing into the Huan Riverbed and stirring up a cloud of mud and sand!
"With such low strength, you dare to fight? You've reached the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, so why don't you have a single supernatural ability? Is the King of Qin really that stingy? Look at those few Fang family stray dogs over there. Their strength is mediocre, yet they possess supernatural abilities. You're so bold, but where are your supernatural abilities?"

Zheng Jun sneered, not pressing his advantage. His voice boomed, "Your broadsword is merely a rudimentary magical weapon. The sword I used when I was in the Outer Qi stage was several times better than yours!"

“Even the most useless scions of noble families have the chance to learn supernatural powers as long as they cultivate to the Outer Strength realm. Once they reach the Opening Aperture realm, they can obtain magical artifacts and divine weapons! And you, you have worked hard and fought for many years, and you have already reached the fourth stage of the Opening Aperture realm. Why don’t you even have a single supernatural power? Are you content with this?!”

"Without supernatural powers, and without any magical artifacts... what are you following the King of Qin for? Is it to make a name for yourself in history?"

Zheng Jun continued, raising his voice, "The King of Qin colluded with demons and slaughtered the county. How can such a brutal person be remembered in history? Today you have turned against us and surrendered. I will grant you a magical weapon and a martial arts technique!"

The riverbank was deathly silent.

The three martial artists from the Fang family, all at the level of Qi Refining, looked at Zheng Jun with sharp, murderous eyes.

"Marquis of Hancheng, let me kill this brat!"

The purple-robed elder, Fang Yuan, was furious and immediately shouted at Gongyang Jin, "I will make him know the consequences of insulting my Fang family!"

Zheng Jun also noticed the purple-robed elder volunteering for battle, and immediately scoffed dismissively, raising his voice, "What are you dawdling about?"

"Why don't you all come at me together? What do I, Zheng Jun, have to fear?!"

(End of this chapter)